Mike Steinel is a jazz trumpeter, pianist, composer, arranger and novelist. An internationally recognized jazz educator, Mike is the author the highly acclaimed Essential Elements for Jazz Ensemble and Building a Jazz Vocabulary. He has performed throughout the US, Canada and in Europe, Africa and Asia. He has, appeared as soloist at the MENC, IAJE, and JEN international conventions; and at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. He has recorded with the Rosewood Trio, the Frank Mantooth Orchestra, the Chicago Jazz Quintet and is a featured soloist on recent release by the Mike Waldrop Big Band (2015). He has performed with Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Terry, Don Ellis, Bill Evans, Zoot Sims, Jerry Bergonzi, and others. His most recent releases are Song and Dance on Origin Records (2018) and Saving Charlie Parker on Rosewood Audio (2022)

Mike served as Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas from 1987 to 2019. He founded and directed the UNT Jazz Combo Workshop for 25 years. Mr. Steinel has served as Co-Chair of the Jazz Advisory Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts and holds a BME degree from Emporia State University and a MME degree from the University of North Texas.